Narrative:

I was captain of flight from china to the us. With me were a first officer and a relief pilot for the 10 hour block flight. Due to thunderstorms in the terminal area and our route of flight; the departure was delayed for an hour. After departure we were vectored off the SID for traffic and put back on SID; all this while deviating around thunderstorms. Cockpit workload was very high and I was distracted just as I was resetting my altimeter to qne; 1013. I distinctly remember touching the altimeter setting knob; which sets qne in MD11; but at the same moment vector instructions and WX avoidance tasks distracted me enough so that I didn't confirm the altimeter qne setting. The altimeter remained at qnh setting of 1004; which put us 90 - 100 meters high at a couple of intermediate leveloff altitudes; 2400 meters and 4500 meters. The relief pilot caught the mistake and we corrected back to assigned altitude. There were a number of things I would have done differently to preclude this situation from happening again. Because the first officer was on his first trip out of IOE; I elected to do the heavy gross weight takeoff and kept flying the departure climb. We would have been better off if I made the first officer PF after the takeoff so that the relief pilot and I could better monitor the situation. Another possibility for the altimeter not being reset to qne is the design of the altimeter setting knob. Pulling the knob once sets qne. One click rotation resets it back to the previous setting. I suspect that's what might have happened; but it's still no excuse for not confirming the qne setting. As far as we know; no ATC separation issues on departure; at least nothing was said by controllers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 FLIGHT CREW ENROUTE FROM CHINA TO THE U.S. FAILED TO SET THE ALTIMETER TO QNE AT THE TRANSITION ALTITUDE; RESULTING IN DEVIATION FROM ASSIGNED ALTITUDE.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT OF FLT FROM CHINA TO THE US. WITH ME WERE A FO AND A RELIEF PLT FOR THE 10 HR BLOCK FLT. DUE TO TSTMS IN THE TERMINAL AREA AND OUR RTE OF FLT; THE DEP WAS DELAYED FOR AN HR. AFTER DEP WE WERE VECTORED OFF THE SID FOR TFC AND PUT BACK ON SID; ALL THIS WHILE DEVIATING AROUND TSTMS. COCKPIT WORKLOAD WAS VERY HIGH AND I WAS DISTRACTED JUST AS I WAS RESETTING MY ALTIMETER TO QNE; 1013. I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER TOUCHING THE ALTIMETER SETTING KNOB; WHICH SETS QNE IN MD11; BUT AT THE SAME MOMENT VECTOR INSTRUCTIONS AND WX AVOIDANCE TASKS DISTRACTED ME ENOUGH SO THAT I DIDN'T CONFIRM THE ALTIMETER QNE SETTING. THE ALTIMETER REMAINED AT QNH SETTING OF 1004; WHICH PUT US 90 - 100 METERS HIGH AT A COUPLE OF INTERMEDIATE LEVELOFF ALTS; 2400 METERS AND 4500 METERS. THE RELIEF PLT CAUGHT THE MISTAKE AND WE CORRECTED BACK TO ASSIGNED ALT. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF THINGS I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY TO PRECLUDE THIS SITUATION FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. BECAUSE THE FO WAS ON HIS FIRST TRIP OUT OF IOE; I ELECTED TO DO THE HEAVY GROSS WEIGHT TKOF AND KEPT FLYING THE DEP CLB. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF IF I MADE THE FO PF AFTER THE TKOF SO THAT THE RELIEF PLT AND I COULD BETTER MONITOR THE SITUATION. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY FOR THE ALTIMETER NOT BEING RESET TO QNE IS THE DESIGN OF THE ALTIMETER SETTING KNOB. PULLING THE KNOB ONCE SETS QNE. ONE CLICK ROTATION RESETS IT BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SETTING. I SUSPECT THAT'S WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED; BUT IT'S STILL NO EXCUSE FOR NOT CONFIRMING THE QNE SETTING. AS FAR AS WE KNOW; NO ATC SEPARATION ISSUES ON DEP; AT LEAST NOTHING WAS SAID BY CTLRS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.